Striped Hairstreak Satyrium liparops

Butterfly: Wingspan: 1 to 1 1/2 inches (2.5 - 3.9 cm). Undersurfaces are gray/brown. There are two hindwing tails. Numerous bands are outlined in white, giving a striped appearance. Hindwing has an orange-capped blue patch and several red spots near the tails. Upper surface is seldom seen, but is uniformly dark brown. Males have a dull white scent patch (stigma) on the upper forewings.

Striped Hairstreaks belong to a genus of hairstreaks known as satyriums. Like all satyrium hairstreaks, they are basically brown butterflies that are decorated with a blue dot, a few red spots, and white dashes on their underwings. They have only one brood (univoltine) and fly in early summer. However, Stripeds differ from their relatives by choosing more densely wooded habitats, and they seldom engage in the pugnacious territorial dogfights that are typical of the genus. In general, satyium hairstreaks can be difficult to identify, but the Striped Hairstreak's descriptive wings provide much appreciated field marks.

Distribution and Abundance

A dot on the county map indicates that there is at least one documented record of the species within that county. In some cases, a species may be common throughout the county, in others it may be found in only a specific habitat.

The sightings bar graphs depict the timing of flight(s) within each of three geographic regions. Place your cursor on a bar within the graph to see the number of individuals recorded during that period.

The abundance calendar displays the total number of individuals recorded within each week of the month. Both the graphs and the calendar are on based data collection that began in 2000.

The records analyzed here are only a beginning. As more data is collected, these maps and graphs will paint a more accurate picture of distribution and abundance in Alabama. Submit your sightings to albutterflyatlas@gmail.com.